Why No Peach In New Super Mario Bros U?

Mario, Luigi and Toad have all featured in New Super Mario Bros U. But why no Princess Peach?

games™ asked game director Masataka Takemoto why Peach has yet to feature in the New Super Mario Bros series, especially given she was playable in Super Mario Bros 2 on NES.

“In Super Mario Bros 2, Princess Peach had her own unique moves and animation,” he says. “In this series, we want all the players to have the same moves and animations as Mario, and Princess Peach isn’t suited for that.”

So there you have it. That’s why there’s no Princess Peach in New Super Mario Bros. Disappointing but what can you do, eh?

For more on New Super Mario Bros U, the Wii U launch and to celebrate games™’s 10th anniversary see issue 129 of games™, which features the full interview with Masataka Takemoto, veteran Mario producer Takashi Tezuka and a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the very first issue of games™. games™ issue 129 is on sale 22 November in both print and half-price digital formats.